Madam, - In light of the recent controversy relating to the mistreatment of older people in long-term care, I would like to draw your readers' attention to an initiative which enables older residents in nursing homes and other care facilities to have a say in how their quality of life may be improved for the better.
The project was launched in January by the National Council for Ageing and Older People (NCAOP) and Irish Health Promoting Hospitals Network (IHPHN), both of which have long recognised that supporting best practice in residential care facilities is crucial to the promotion of healthy ageing.
Working in collaboration with Age and Opportunity, the Carers' Association, the Alzheimer's Society, the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation and representatives from the former Health Boards, a list of "Ten Steps to Healthy Ageing" have been developed which are designed to achieve person-centred care, a positive working environment with care workers and a family-friendly atmosphere in care facilities. Since the project was launched a wide range of activities have been initiated, including arts in residential care settings, holiday schemes, dancing, music and physical exercise.
There are also sessions involving reminiscence therapy and visits to locations which help to renew memories of the past. There has been considerable interest from private nursing homes and from public residential care facilities throughout the country and workshops have already been held in Dublin and in counties Cork, Tipperary and Mayo.
Without discounting in any way the disturbing revelations of the past week or so, it should be noted that there are many examples of elderly care facilities where the residents are well cared for and where their physical and psychological needs are catered for to the best of the care staff's ability. We believe that the number of homes already committed to the initiative is proof that there are many in the residential care sector who are willing to do everything in their power to improve the quality of life of those in their care.
We would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in the project and will be only too pleased to forward all relevant information about it. - Yours, etc,
PATRICIA JAYCOCK, National Co-ordinator for Health Promoting Residential Care Initiative, c/o Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
Madam, - We, as a group of social workers working with older people, welcome the decision to introduce an independent inspectorate for nursing homes. It is long overdue.
Such an inspectorate must be backed up by appropriate legislation and regulations, report directly to the Department of Health and Children and produce an annual report. It should cover the private, public and voluntary sectors. It is important that inspection teams include social work and occupational therapy alongside nursing and medicine, so as to ensure a holistic approach to the inspection process. Access to the residents themselves should be a fundamental part of any future inspection process.
Given the heavy cutbacks in public residential care, particularly noticeable in the old Eastern Regional Health Authority area, there has been an increasing reliance on the private sector to make up the shortfall. The vast majority of these homes provide excellent care. However, when there is failure, such as that highlighted recently, the lack of public bed capacity, in the system means that the Health Services Executive is immediately compromised by a conflict of interest between enforcing the meagre regulations currently existing and the need to maintain bed numbers.
It is, therefore, essential that the Government also provide appropriately resourced services for older people to ensure that the proposed inspectorate can avoid compromise and move quickly if and when concerns arise. - Yours, etc,
JOHN BRENNAN, Chairperson, Special Interest Group on Ageing, Irish Association of Social Workers, Pearse Street, Dublin 2.